


My Kingdom For A Corkscrew (timestamp)

by truelyesoteric



Series: There Is No Roadmap To Your Life [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Past Life Death, Timestamp Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 16:57:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18525742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truelyesoteric/pseuds/truelyesoteric
Summary: Merlin has learned his lesson about making wishes, but he's the only one.Arthur is in a fanciful poetic mood and doesn't understand why everyone else doesn't get it.Wishes happen. Memories happen. 'Sword fights' happen. Life happens.(You'll want to read the first part or this will make no sense)





	My Kingdom For A Corkscrew (timestamp)

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote one Merlin fic. In 2013. It’s still getting Kudos and Comments, more so lately. I have no idea why, but the comments have completely charmed me. I wasn’t sure I could write any more (it’s probably been about five years) or write these characters, but I wanted to give you something to let you know how much I adore each and every one of you and the absolutely amazing comments. This is my thank you and my gift for you for loving my take on this show still after all these years.

“My kingdom for a corkscrew,” Arthur pronounced as he rummaged through the drawers.

“Not funny,” Merlin said, glaring from the bed.

Arthur laughed and turned towards Merlin. “How unfortunate I don’t have a kingdom to give.”

Merlin looked at him. “Go ahead, make a wish. Wish for a kingdom to give away for trinkets. We’ll probably be transported back to a time before running water.”

Arthur grinned. “There was water that ran, but by god’s hands not ours. We lived in a different time with different gods.”

“What is with you?” Merlin sighed.

“This is hilarious,” Arthur laughed. “This whole situation is hilarious.”

“You wanted it,” Merlin said. “I would be perfectly happy without all of this.”

“It’s a statement,” Arthur said. “It’s a political thing.”

“And you want to,” Merlin said, his voice softening. There was rarely something that Arthur really wanted that Merlin would deny him. It actually went both ways.

Arthur’s grin widened. “I live life to the fullest and this is an adventure that I want.”

“You are poetic tonight,” Merlin remarked while he sat up.

“It’s an epic night,” Arthur said. “Tomorrow something happens that has never happened before, from my memories that is something that is rare.”

“Well lets not ruin it by making wishes,” Merlin cautioned.

“I’m not a magician,” Arthur pointed out.

Merlin huffed.

Arthur came over and positioned himself between Merlin’s legs. “Tell me you aren’t a little bit happy.”

Merlin smiled. “I’m happy. I’m not happy for tomorrow, but I’m happy for the days after that.”

Arthur looked at him with a light smile. “I wish that people could know tonight know how absolutely hilarious this is.”

Both of them realized the words at the same time. Arthur slapped his hands in front of his mouth as he watched Merlin’s eyes flashed gold. For a second they just stood still, staring at each other.

“Do you remember me?” Merlin asked in a small voice.

Arthur nodded. “Do you remember me?”

Merlin looked a little relieved. “Yes, I remember time without you too.”

“Unfortunate,” Arthur said absentmindedly, looking around the room. “What happened? I’m not magic.”

“I don’t know, my magic likes you,” Merlin replied.

“Um, thanks,” Arthur said absentmindedly, looking around, then back to Merlin. “Have I ever said that I was sorry for being so pissed when it first happened? Your magic has a trigger to it, and it is no one’s fault.”

“Way to hedge that now that it is your fault,” Merlin muttered.

There was a pounding on the door.

Merlin jumped and unconsciously moved behind Arthur.

“You have magic,” Arthur whispered. 

“You have soldier knowledge,” Merlin whispered back.

“Not going to help if they have a gun,” Arthur replied.

Merlin just looked at the door as it swung open.

Morgana stalked in, wearing a robe, eyes ablaze. She stalked up to Merlin and poked him in the chest.

“You once told me I was a Sorceress, a Suffragette, a Magistrate, and a Courtesan in a former life,” Morgana said with all the confidence in the world. 

Merlin shrank back a little. Arthur’s hands clenched a little at his hip as if he were looking for a sword that hadn’t been there for lifetimes.

Morgana put her hands on her hips. “Any chance that the Countess of Burgundy means anything to you?”

Merlin and Arthur exchanged a look. They had a good idea what had happened now.

Arthur sighed. “She was manipulative bitch and I can’t believe you were friends with her.”

Morgana’s head whipped to him. “You know?”

“Since my twenty-seventh birthday,” Merlin said with a sigh, moving to stand shoulder to shoulder with Arthur. 

Morgana calmed and tapped her finger to her lips. “Well that explains some things. Trip to Greece and all that. What a way to do it.”

Arthur still held himself away from her. “Which Morgana are you going to be?”

She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m me, I’ve never not been me. I’ve also had a ton of therapy in this lifetime, I’m not going to find black clothing and try to ruin your lives and tomorrow.”

“Sometimes your plans are the slow burn,” Merlin said hesitantly.

Her eyes seemed to be lost in thought as she wandered to sit on the bed. “I may have had some anger issues.”

Merlin went to her and patted her arm. “Who hasn’t started a civil war or two?”

Arthur raised his hand.

She looked at him through slitted eyes. “Oh, don’t be so lofty. I remember Normandy.”

Merlin snickered.

Morgana turned to look at him. “Speaking of wars, where were you during World War II?”

Merlin let out a sigh and flopped on his back muttering. Morgana laughed and then her face stilled as she seemed to be remembering quite a few things at once.

“I killed you once,” Morgana said looking up at Arthur, her eyes wide. “I stabbed you.”

Merlin propped himself up on his arms, looking at Arthur. Arthur walked over to her, sat down and put his arm around her.

“Feel like doing it right now?” Arthur said softly.

Morgana’s eyes filled. “Not at the moment.”

“You’ve been my sister, sometimes known, sometimes not for fifteen hundred years,” Arthur said as he pulled her close. “I’ve grown up with you over and over. It’s ended badly so many times. I don’t remember as many of the bad times as you think I do though. I remember you getting me back on my horse when I was afraid. I remember you giving me the last bite of cake. I remember endless hours of travel as children when we were the only constant in each other’s lives. That is who you are to me.”

Her face crumpled and she buried her face in his shoulder. 

“That is why you’re the one with destiny,” Morgana said in almost a whisper.

Merlin gave Arthur a look that shone with every inch of love he had for the man.

“What’s going on?”

Everybody looked at the doorway. Gwen stood there in her pajamas. She looked small and uncertain.

The group of the bed exchanged looks.

“How are you feeling?” Arthur said cautiously.

Gwen bit her lip and spoke softly. “I think I’ve just gone insane.”

“Remembering being crowned?” Merlin said with a grin.

“I can’t remember something like that,” Gwen replied, wringing her hands. “That’s delusional.”

“There was a pig in the corner,” Merlin said. “You were shaking and about ten seconds after you were crowned two pigeons flew out the window.”

“How can you know that?” Gwen asked.

“Because I was there,” Merlin told her. He made a motion with his hands and little fireworks appeared.

Despite herself Morgana smiled. “You’re still magic!”

“He’s never died,” Arthur said. “He spends a lot of time waiting for us to come back.”

Gwen looked at Merlin with compassion. “That sounds so sad.”

She came over and gave Merlin a hug.

Morgana elbowed Arthur. “I remember when you told Uther that Merlin was too incompetent to be a sorcerer.”

“Can you blame me?” Arthur replied. “Do you remember how inept he was?”

“I was trying to hide it from you,” Merlin told him. “You’re rather nosy.”

Gwen started giggling and then her hands went to her mouth wide eyed as if she was just putting together past memories with present people.

“You two,” her eyes went wide. “It’s taken you a long time for you to figure it out. Have you ever, I mean before now?”

“Figure it out?” Arthur asked. “It’s just happened, we never had those thoughts before.”

Morgana exchanged a glance with Gwen. “He’s adorable.”

Arthur shot Merlin a look. “Tell them that this thing just started.”

“Don’t bother,” Morgana brushed off. “We remember the first life with you two bantering and flirting and Merlin giving you baths. We knew from the beginning of this life that it was inevitable, looking back it started forever ago. You literally are the slowest burn to ever get together and that isn’t just me being dramatic, it’s actual fact.”

Gwen was giggling.

“So now that we’ve established that you have been flirting for longer than most things have existed,” Morgana continued with a grin. “Care to tell us how we remember the occasionally morally questionable and occasionally horrific moments of our pasts life? Or why?”

Merlin gave Arthur a look. Arthur gave Merlin a look right back.

“Merlin thinks his magic is sentient,” Arthur said.

“Arthur thinks it is okay to make wishes,” Merlin chided.

“Morgana doesn’t think that you are answering the question,” Morgana replied.

With overlapping interjections, Merlin and Arthur told the story about how with a mislaid thought Arthur remembered and how Arthur making a flip remark made tonight happen.

Morgana tapped her lips.

“It sounds like this may be temporary,” Gwen said thoughtfully.

“Oh, thank god,” Morgana said. “I really don’t need past me in my head. A lot of it isn’t pleasant.”

Gwen snuggled into Merlin and addressed Arthur. “So, you just wanted us to know for a night?”

Arthur lit up a little. “In all our lives this has never happened, you guys have been around for most of the journey. I just wanted you guys too share in this moment. Merlin doesn’t see the humor in the situation.”

Merlin opened his mouth, but Gwen spoke first. “It is amazing. You guys have been through a lot. I don’t see it as funny. I just see it as exactly what should be happening.”

Morgana looked between Merlin and Arthur with calculation.

Merlin tried to hide behind Arthur’s shoulder.

“It’s going to happen,” Merlin stage whispered.

Arthur looked at him as if he were crazy.

“How do you not recognize the signs? How do you lead armies if you can’t figure out a single woman is about to attack?” Merlin groaned.

Gwen snorted. “He hasn’t led an army in hundreds of years.”

Arthur grinned at her and hugged her close. “I love that you know that.”

“So, did you like India?” Morgana asked with a faux innocence that made a piñata look realistic.

“No,” Merlin said with absolute certainty on the word. 

Morgana blinked.

“Can’t we just have nice things instead of trying to embarrass us?” Merlin pleaded. “I mean you tried to kill both of us many times, can we trade in this as a favor?”

She made a face at him. “You are one unkillable man.”

Merlin grinned. “A millennia and a half going strong.”

Morgana curled into Arthur. “I really am sorry about killing you. I won’t do it again.”

“Why does nobody think this situation is hilarious,” Arthur asked.

There was a commotion in the hall, and everyone looked up.

“Please don’t be Uther,” Merlin muttered.

“It sounds like a riot,” Gwen said. “We’re safe.”

Appearing at the door was Lancelot, Gwaine, Percival, and Leon, they stood there breathing hard.

Morgana grinned. “The Knights of the Round Table are here.”

“Holy fuck,” Gwaine said. “Tell me we’re not epic.”

“I’m epic,” Arthur said with a laugh. “You guys are varying shades of great.”

Gwaine gave him a withering look. “I’m the greatest swordsman anyone ever has known. I bet I am currently the greatest in the world.”

“Good luck finding employment in that,” Morgana said rolling her eyes.

Gwaine gave her a thoughtful look. “You were a nun.”

Merlin and Arthur looked surprised. 

“When were you a nun?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t remember that,” Merlin said surprised.

“In the Crusades after Arthur died, I think you went off after,” Gwen said. “Morgana and I took Holy Orders.”

Morgana flicked her hair. “I wasn’t very good at it. The life of piety didn’t suit me.”

“I wouldn’t think so,” Arthur said. “I feel like I missed a lot.”

“I can guarantee that all of you missed a lot,” Merlin said. “So lazy with the dying.”

Leon considered Merlin. “What were you doing during World War II?”

Arthur jumped in. “But you have to admit that this situation is hilarious, right?”

The former knights exchanged looks and shrugged.

“Seems about right,” Lancelot said. “You probably could have done something like it in the first few lives, and it wouldn’t have raised too many eyebrows. Except Uther, but he probably would have had more issue with the magic. You’d probably be fine through the Crusades, but once we got to the new world it might have gotten sticky.”

“Everything in the new world was sticky,” Gwaine grimaced. “I think I died of small pox and the drink was not fit for anything but hangovers.”

Percival sighed. “I think I would rather the fifth century over the Colonies.”

Gwen looked up. “I like now. Thank the lord we now have air conditioning.”

“Is there a god?” Lancelot asked out of nowhere.

Everyone looked at Merlin expectantly.

“How would I know?” Merlin replied. “I get my marching orders from a dragon. If there is a god, I hope that it isn’t a cranky dragon. I don’t know everything; I just have a lot of experience in the world, not so much about the bigger picture.”

Everybody seemed to take that in.

“So, we have this knowledge for a night,” Gwen said with a smile. “For one night we are everything we ever were for twenty-three lifetimes. What should we do with this?”

Surprisingly, Gwaine stayed silent, but everybody could read his vote by his face.

“There aren’t swords here,” Arthur said with a grin.

“I’ll take a broomstick,” Gwaine said. “I could beat you all with broomsticks.”

Leon snorted and Lancelot looked skeptical.

“Oh, it’s on,” Morgana said with a grin and Gwen clapped her hands.

That is how they found themselves in a moonlit garden with the sound of wood on wood ringing out through the night. Morgana, Merlin, and Gwen sat and laughed and clapped while the Knights of the Roundtable re-emerged for one night only.

Arthur stopped after one round and pulled Gwen up and gave her his ‘sword’.

“You’ve got some training,” Arthur reminded her.

“Nothing like you guys,” Gwen said wide eyed.

“I taught you,” Percival said. “Show us what you got.”

Gwen laughed and held her own. She was Queen of the Round Table.

When they tired of faux sword fighting Morgana lead them in dance. There were hundreds of dances and most of the time they could stop laughing enough to remember most of the steps.

Under the moonlight they remembered all of what they were, but there wasn’t time in one night to remember memories that couldn’t be laughed at or mock each other with.

Exhausted they all went to Merlin and Arthur’s room and talked until the passed out, over couches, on the floor, or on the gigantic king bed.

**

Merlin woke with a hand over his eyes and a whisper in his ear.

“It’s tradition,” Morgana said. “We have to get out of here.”

He sighed but closed his eyes and followed her out of the room.

Much later he was in a tux and she was in a white dress. She kept looking at him as if there was something she should be remembering.

“At the end of the day I’ll have a sister,” Merlin said, leaning into the mirror to tie his tie. “Pretty great one.”

Morgana smiled happily. “And I will have a brother who actually listens to me.”

“Oh, he listens to both of us,” Merlin said turning around. “I just think he ignores us some of the time.”

Morgana stood up and began straightening is already straight suit.

“He loves you,” Merlin said in a low voice.

“He loves you too,” Morgana said, her eyes tearing a little. “I just don’t think he could have said it or really felt me until he had you. He always seemed behind so many walls, you broke him in the most perfect way.”

“I Merlined him,” Merlin laughed. “It’s what I do.”

For a second her eyes took on a faraway look and then they snapped back to him. “Thank you. You will become my brother today, but you also gave me the brother I’ve always had.”

Merlin didn’t know what to say, but Morgana looked at the clock.

“Mr. Punctuality will be mad if we’re late,” she said, blinking back watery eyes.

Merlin gave her a hug. “Let’s do this thing.”

**

Merlin remembered little of it but Arthur’s serious eyes. He met Arthur in front of the church and that was it. Words washed over him, and hands were in his, but he had Arthur looking at him, knowing everything there was to know and wanting to be nowhere else.

The one thing he remembered completely was Arthur’s self-written vows.

“I know you think I think this is a joke, but I want you to know that this is the most serious thing I have undertaken. This is the utmost to me. It’s barely conceivable that we ever first met. One of a thousand things could be altered, and we wouldn’t be here. You are the truest soul and I love you. I will stand by your side forever, through sickness and health, through wars and peace, through everything I will not leave you.”

And Merlin smiled with watery eyes.

For two reasons.

The first was the man, who he hadn’t chosen, who he had simply been fated to, had chosen him. The king, the lord, the general had pledged himself to Merlin. Arthur loved him. Merlin felt as if he had everything in the world.

The second was that his eyes had glowed for a second.

Magic had sealed Arthur’s promise.

Arthur smiled back.

**

This wasn’t the end. This was a new forever.

It was how it would always be.  
The King and his Sorcerer.  
The Statesman and his Magician.  
The Prince and the Servant.  
The Warrior and the Gifted.  
Arthur and Merlin.


End file.
